Work Package 1: Assessment of Urban Air Quality and Climate Change Solutions

Research message
Work package (WP) 1 will conduct a thorough and neutral assessment of existing and future challenges and opportunities for cities with respect to air quality and climate change, and the role of infrastructural and behavioural interventions to offer solutions to the corresponding challenges.

Main aims
The main aims of this research are:

To provide a high-level overview of the challenges EU cities are currently facing regarding air quality and climate change, and also to highlight the opportunities they have in introducing innovative interventions to tackle these challenges.

To identify alternative forms of passive control measures such as roadside vegetation, low boundary walls and avenue type tree, and the geometric design of streets and roadways, which have been successfully tested and deployed in other past test studies in order to understand how their design and deployment can be improved and re-thought to enhance their air pollutant abatement performances.

To develop a summary of the actions and initiatives an individual can take to reduce his/her own emissions such as telecommuting, shopping times, start time to work, etc., and provide recommendations to promote them.

To understand the nexus between urban climate and air pollution in EU cities, and identify the roles of green infrastructure in mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and air pollution.

To develop a thorough understanding of the available and emerging air quality sensing technologies, assessing their drawbacks and positives, and finally providing a firm basis of their selection for air pollution management.

Main outcomes
WP1 provides a foundation for the overall project in terms of identifying the persistent air quality and climate change issues faced by the different EU cities, and making recommendations toward their possible mitigation strategies.

Main outputs

A report on the air quality and climate change problems in different EU cities

Guidelines to promote passive methods for improving urban air quality under different climate change scenarios.

A report on the state-of-the-art of behavioural interventions, which are possible and provide suggestions for their testing and implementation.

A report on the state-of-the-art of urban climate change simulations that contain the analysis of the different EU cities in terms of air quality and climate change interactions.

A report on the state-of-the-art of air quality sensing technology and recommendations for their deployment.

Practical use
WP1 will identify the challenges faced by the different EU cities with respect to climate change and air quality issues, and the possible mitigation strategies through a comprehensive state-of-the-art literature review. Solution strategies for tackling the problems of climate change and air pollution will be shared with the stakeholders, which will include guidelines for monitoring air pollution using upcoming sensor technologies, deployment of infrastructural interventions, and promoting behavioural changes in citizens.